Lost
by clockwork'sFinest
Summary: She's dribbling a red kickball between her feet and he's balling his hands in his hoodie.


**boondocks belongs to aaron.**

* * *

The first time he sees her is at the bus stop. It's a cold morning and the wind is merciless. Her hair is black and silky and his eyes are fixed. She's dribbling a red kickball between her feet and he's balling his hands in his hoodie. The entire bench is taken up by who he can only guess is her team, clad in matching jackets and all, so he and Dewey stand behind them, waiting for their school bus.

He only realizes how hard he's staring when Dewey elbows him him. "Who's that?"

He shrugs his shoulders.

"Then go find out, brother."

"Chill." He mutters, afraid she'd heard.

Dewey nudges him forward, offering weak game; "Show her how to spin a ball on her finger."

Cairo stumbles over his Jordans and catches himself on the rim of the trashcan by the bench. They stare with the same expression on similar faces, unamused and slightly disturbed. But all he can see is her. She's not the first asian he's ever seen, but she's definitely the prettiest. Her already narrow eyes squint further when his gaze lingers. He coughs and throws the lint from his pocket in the trash before returning to an impressed Dewey.

"Nice save." He whispers.

"Dickhead."

A shuttle to O'Hare makes a stop and they stand promptly. She boards first, listlessly spinning the ball on her pinky nail. The big guy carrying her bags is behind her and gives the boys a dirty look. Cairo looks away and tightens the hold on his backpack strap.

* * *

The last time he sees her is a week later at the same bus stop. It's late in the evening and it's still cold, but she's alone.

So's he.

She's sporting crutches and a cast on her right foot. The red ball is gone, as is the rest of her team. He wonders if she's lost.

He voices his concern.

She tells him, in broken English, to fuck off.

His mouth, like his heart, drops before he quickly sucks his teeth. He was out here worrying about her getting mugged when he really should've left the trick to her own devices. He'd like to see her tell a thug to fuck off. He's about to walk home when she stands and limps away. In the same direction he was going.

He could've taken the long way, another shortcut, or even the subway. But he decided he wasn't scared of her, and would take his regular route home.

Her hair swishes violently in the wind and she's looking really cold in those shorts. He's ready to give her his sweatshirt but he remembers her biting remark and thinks better of it. With new found bravado, he increases his pace until he's ahead of her.

He shouldn't have hyped himself up. His resolve shattered when he heard her giggle, cruel but cute all the same.

He ventured a look behind him, "What are you laughing at?"

With a wicked curl of her lip she answered. " _Nothing_."

And again he's left in the dust as she keeps walking.

She's been walking straight for half an hour and he's almost positive she's lost. His house was two blocks back but he'd been following her. Because it's fun to see her footsteps get frantic and not because he's worried about her or anything. It's only ten minutes later before they reach a dead end.

"There's nothing past that block."

"But you right here." She deadpanned.

It takes him a minute to get it and only half a second to get mad. He cursed himself for even bothering.

"Why you here?" She asks.

He didn't know. Didn't want to let her know.

"A better question is why are _you_ here."

"Lost." She shrugged.

Cairo tried to revel in his glory but then feels bad. "You're not from around here, are you?"

She shook her head.

"What's your name?"

"Ming."

When she doesn't ask for his, he replies. "That's a cool name."

And when Ming stays quiet, he asks. "What are you doing in Chicago?"

She frowns and kicks a rock with her uninjured foot. "My team come from China to play kickball in Maryland."

His heart wrenches, just the mention of his move makes him sick.

"We lose and shame our country. Can never go back."

It was heartbreaking, but he respected her sensibility. At least _she_ had the decency not to show her face in the hometown she was no longer welcome in.

"The boy with big hair, he too good." She sighed.

His breath hitched in his throat. She did _not_.

"Huey." Ming muttered sorely.

Dewey. She meant Dewey. He must've heard wrong.

"Y-you mean, _Dew_ ey, don't you? My best friend." Cairo cleared his throat, swallowing the lump that'd been there since he'd first seen that damn kickball.

Her dark eyebrows furrow for a second and she shakes her head defiantly. "No, Huey."

It could've been a coincidence. It had to be. There had to be other Huey's with big hair who were good at kickball. At least ten of them in Maryland.

"He play for Wood-"

" _White_ crest?" He corrected bitterly. Of course he did. He's probably out there flexing to all those white girls. Showing off all the moves Cairo had taught him with _his_ ball way back in second grade. He ground his teeth at how many times he had to inflate the ball using his bike pump just for Huey to kick around the broken fence and walls of his pink house.

 _Fuck that._

He decided no girl, no matter how pretty or hopeless, was worth reopening himself to.

He left her, not unlike Huey did him, lost in the cold streets of Chicago.

* * *

 **because there are no fics on baby cai and i love him too much im thinking of naming my new bunny cairo. his voice actors hot**

 **and ay heres to the remaining boondockersssssssssss**


End file.
